FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF A STATERENT BY THE SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND INFORMATION. MR PETER K.Y. TSAO, AT A PRESS CONFERENCE HELD TODAY (TUESDAY);
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTION REGISTRATION OF VOTERS
THE FIRST PHASE OF THE REGISTRATION OF ELECTORS FOR THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTION ENDED YESTERDAY, MAY 6. DURING THE 3-HEEK PERIOD, A TOTAL OF 3 507 ORDANISATIONS AND 30 345 INDIVIDUALS REGISTERED THEMSELVES AS ELECTORS. MANY OF THE ORGANISATIONS ARE LARGE AND IMPORTANT ONES, EMPLOYING HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE IN VARIOUS PROFESSIONAL FIELDS.
SOME PRESS REPORTS HAVE MADE COMPARISONS BETWEEN THE REGISTRATION FOR LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTION AND THAT FOR THE DISTRICT BOARD ELECTION, POINTING IN PARTICULAR TO THE LACK OF FANFARE AND PUBLICITY. SOME HRVE DRAWN THE CONCLUSION THAT THE RATE OF REGISTRATION COULD HAVE BEEN HIGHER HAD THERE BEEN MORE PUBLICITY,
THE LEGCO ELECTION IS RATHER DIFFERENT FROM DB ELECTION IN SEVERAL RESPECTS:-
(A) IT ONLY INVOLVES SOME 73 000 PEOPLE OR ORGANISATIONS,
WHEREAS THE FRANCHISE FOR D3 ELECTION 1.E. THE HUMBER OF PEOPLE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE INVOLVES 2.9 MILLION PEOPLE=
<C>
(D)
17 IS OBVIOUSLY MORE COMPLICATED FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS. HOT LEAST BEING THE FACT THAT IT IS BEING HELD FOR THE FIRST TIME=
BETWEEN THE PROMULGATION OF THE LEĠCO ELECTOR REGISTRATION REGULATIONS ON APRIL 12 AND THE STARTING OF THE PROCESS OF REGISTRATION OF ELECTORS ON APRIL 15, ALL WE HAD WAS A WEEKEND AND THERE WAS SIMPLY NO TIME FOR PRE-REGISTRATION PUBLICITY OTHER THAN A PRESS CONFERENCE GIVEN BY MR LEE
SINCE ALL FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES WERE CLOSELY CONSULTED ON THE FORMULATION OF THE RULES AND REQULATIONS. THEY WERE FULLY AWARE OF WHAT WAS BEING PROPOSED. WE THEREFORE RELIED ON THEM TO LIAISE WITH THEIR OWN MEMBERS.
THESE HERE THE REASONS WHY PUBLICITY ON THE SCALE MOUNTED FOR DR ELECTIONS WAS NOT POSSIBLE HOR NECESSARY ALTHOUGH PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS WERE MADE DURING THE REGISTRATION PERIOD THROUGH RADIO. TELEVISION AND NEWSPAPERS URGING ELIGIBLE VOTERS TO REGISTER.
AS REGARDS THE BREAKDOWN OF REGISTRATION FIGURES. THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE MEMBERS HAVE EXPRESSED THE XEENEST INTEREST IN THE EXERCISE, THAT THE FIGURE IS NOT 100 PER CENT IS ONLY DUE TO THE FACT THAT SONE MEMBERS ARE CURRENTLY OUT OF TOWN AND WILL HAVE TO SIGN UP LATER DURING THE PERIOD FOR LATE REGISTRATION.
P2
Page 60Page 61